Switch for newspaper-conveyers.



F. W. FULLERTON.

SWITCH FOR NEWSPAPER CONVEYERS.

APPLICATION FI LED APR- 21, I917.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS SHEE T I.

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FREDERIGK'W. FULLERTON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SWITCH FOR NEWSPAPEB CONVEYERS.

wearer.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 15,1918.

Application filed April 21, 1917. Serial No. 163,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. FUL- LERTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State ofMinnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switches forNewspaper-Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

Myv invention relates to an improved switch for use on newspaperconveyers, and is particularly, though not 1 exclusively, adapted foruse on conveyers of the type shown in United States Letters Patent No.1,138,609, issued to me on the 4th day of May, 1915.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eificient switchadapted to facilitate a change of direction in the movement of thepapers when it is desired to transfer them from a vertical to ahorizontal plane, or vice versa.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved switch; Fig. 2 is asection on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail of the transfersheaves and their mountings partly in central section; Fig. 4: is aperspective view of one of the eccentric bushings of the transfersheaves; Fig. 5 is a detail showing the means for shifting the positionof the guide fingers; and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6-6of Fig. 5. I

My switch is applicable to any system of newspaper conveyers consistingof a plurality of pulleys upon which belts are arranged to receivenewspapers from a printing press and transfer them automatically incontinuous succession or slightly overlapped through any convenientcourse within the available quarters of the printing establishment to adelivery table where the newspapers are ordinarily stacked and counted.Such delivery table may be located above or below or on the same floor,at a considerable distance from the printing press. In such conveyersthe papers when moving in a horizontal plane ordinarily rest upon asingle conveyer, but when the line of travel is up or down the papersare carried by friction between two closely adjacent and substantiallyparallel runs of belts.

In the drawings, the numerals 9 and 10 indicate conveyer pulleys and 11and 11 carrier belts constructed, arranged, and operated in the usualway. To switch or from a vertical line of such carriers to a horizontalline, or the reverse, I provide the following mechanism: Adjacent to theturning point is a horizontal shaft 12 journaled at each end in asuitable frame 13. The purpose of this shaft is to form' a support for aplurality of transfer sheaves 14 and 15 arranged in pairs and revolubleupon bushings 16 which are eccentrically mounted upon the shaft 12. Byreason of such mounting, the sheaves of each pair are ofi'set withrespect to each other. The transfer sheaves 14: and 15 of each pair areheld side by side by collars or flanges 17 formed on the bushings whichare fixed to the shaft 12 by means of set screws 18. The transfersheaves 14 are driven in a clockwise direction by means of the switchbelts 19, which extend from said sheaves to the driven pulley 9, and thesheaves 15 are driven in "a counter-clockwise direction by the switchbelts 19 from the pulley 10. These switch belts, which also cooperatewith parallel belts 11 and 11 to convey the papers, are disposed indiverging lines of .travel and are brought into such parallel alinementwith their respective companion belts 11 and 11 a by the oppositelyarranged offsets of the sheaves 1 1 and 15.

To cooperate with the transfer sheaves and their belts, I fix upon theshaft 12, adjacent to each pair of pulleys, a guide finger 20 which maybe turned with said shaft into the path of an advancing series ofpapers, in order to deflect such papers from their former course. Thisfinger in Fig. 2 is illustrated as in position to deflect advancingpapers from Y in theirv vertical line of travel. The fingers 20 areshifted into or out of the course of the papers by means of a handle 21on the end of the shaft 12, and are held in the desired position bymeans of a stop pin 22 fixed to the knob 23. The pin 22extends freelythrough an orifice 24in the handle 21. A coiled spring 25 placed in theorifice 24 about the pin 22 presses against a fixed washer 26 on the pin22 and tends to hold the end of the pin in a perforation 27 on the sideof theframe 13, from which position it may be withdrawn by a pull on theknob 23, and when the fingers 20 are shifted by the handle 21, the pointof the pin enters a second perforation 27 to hold the fingers in theirnew position. It will be observed that in shifting the fingers 20, theangular movement of the shaft 12 is so slight that the ofisetperipheries of the sheaves 1d and 15 are not removed from operativeposition, norvare the lines of travel of the belts 19 and 19 which runover these stantially changed.

In operation, when it is desired to change the direction of travel ofthe newspapers, the operator simply manipulates theknob 23 to move thepin 22 from one perforation to the other, and thus shifts the positionof the guide fingers 20 into the path of the papers which are therebydeflected from thepath of the belts carried upon one series of offsetsheaves to that carried by the other series of offset sheaves, when thediverging switch belts cooperating with the com panion parallel belts ofthe system will grip the papers and transfer them into their new path.

7 Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a plurality of diverging carrier sectionsadapted to receive papers from .a common source of supply, each sectioncomprising two series of coopera'ting conveyer belts lying parallel toeach other, of a switch comprising a shaft mounted adjacent to the lineat which said carrier sections diverge, a series of eccentric bushingsmounted in pairs upon said shaft, sheaves revoluble upon each of saidbushings, so that'the sheaves of each pair are offset with respect toeach other, one series of conveyer belts of each carrier sectionpassing. over said sheaves anda serie of guide fingers mounted upon anadjustable shaft and adapted to divert the papers into either carriersection from said common source of supply.

2. The combination with a plurality of diverging carrier sectionsadapted to receive papers from acommon source of supply, and eachsection comprising two series of cooperating conveyer belts lyingparallel to each other, of a switch comprising a shaft mounted adjacentto the line at which said carrier sections diverge, a series ofeccentric bushings mounted in pairs upon said shaft, sheaves revolubleupon each of said bushings so that the sheaves of each pair are offsetwith respect to each other, one series of con- 'veyer belts of eachcarrler section passing oversald sheaves and also over driven pulleysdisposed in difierent vertical planes, and a series of guide fingersmounted upon an adjustable shaft and adapted to divert the papers intoeither carrier section from said common source of supply;

3. 111 anewspaper conveyer, a switch comprising a shaft, a plurality ofbushings mounted in pairs upon said shaft, sheaves sheaves, sul

severally revoluble upon each of said bushings which are disposed withperipheries oppositely eccentric to the axis of the shaft, conveyerbelts passing over each of said sheaves and also over pulleys disposedin different vertical planes, coiiperating belts lying parallel to eachof said conveyer belts and forming therewith carrier sections, means tonormally feed papers to one of said carrier sections, and a eriesofoscillatory guide fingers mounted upon an adjustable shaft and adaptedto divert the papers into the other of said carrier sections.

4:. In a. newspaper conveyer, a plurality of pairs of diverging conveyerbelts, the adjacent ends of each pair of said belts being arranged uponsheaves placed side by side and having their peripheries ofiset withrespect to each other, an oscillating guide finger placed adjacent tothe converging ends of said belts and adapted to be turned into or outof the line of travel of said belts, means for d iving said belts, andcooperating carrier sections arranged in close parallelrelation to eachof said diverging belts.

5. in a newspaper conveyer, a plurality of pairs of diverging conveyerbelts, the adj acent ends of each pair of said belts being dlsposed uponsheaves placed side by side and having their peripheries offset withrespect to each other, an oscillating guide finger placed ad acent tothe converging ends of said belts, means for holding said linger eitherin or out of the path of thepapers carried by said belts, means fordriving said belts, and coiiperating carrier sections arranged in closeparallel relation to each of said diverging belts.

6. In a newspaper conveyer, a switch comprising a horizontal shaft, aplurality of bushings mounted in pairs upon said shaft, sheavesseverally revoluble upon each of said bushings which are disposed withperipheries opp sitely eccentric to the axis of the shaft and withretaining flanges for the sheaves, means for fixing the bushings on theshaft, conveyer beltspassing' over each of said sheaves and also overpulleys disposed in different vertical planes, cotiperating belts lyingparallel to each of said conveyer belts and forming therewith carriersections, means to'feed papers to a line adjacent to said horizontalshaft, and a series of guide fingers mounted upon an adjustable shaftand adapted to divert the papersinto either of said carrier sections. i

7. In a newspaper conveyer, a switch comprising a shaft, a plurality ofbushings mounted in pairs upon said shaft, sheaves severally revolubleupon each of said bushings which are disposed with peripheriesoppositely eccentric to the axis of the shaft, conveyer belts passingover each of said sheaves and also over pulley disposed in" difierentvertical planes, cooperating belts lying parallel to each of saidconveyer belts and forming therewith carrier sections,

means to feed papers to a line adjacent to said shaft and oscillatoryguide fingers mounted upon an adjustable shaft and adapted to divert thepapers into either of said carrier sections, and means for holding saidfingers either in or out of the path of the advancing papers.

8. The combination with a main'newspaper carrier section, of anauxiliary carrier section diverging therefrom, a shaft mounted adjacentto the line of divergence, eccentri sheaves mounted on said shaft,conveyer belts for said sheaves, certain of said belts cooperating withsaid main carrier section, While others cooperate with said auxiliarycarrier section, and oscillatory fingers mounted adjacent to said lineof divergence, said fingers being adapted to deflect papers from saidmain carrier section to said auxiliary carrier section.

Whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK W. FULLERTON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingt e Commissioner of Washington, I)" 0.

